The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-15
DISCIPLES OF DEMOSTHENES
Ornate 0ratory Of Five College Contest
ants for Glory and Prize.
The Representative of Wabash the Victor
What the Contestants Talked About and
How They Conducted Themselves.


than in some previous years. at Englishs Opera
house last evening at the annual State ora
torical contest But five colleges, instead of
the usual seven, furnished contestants. The.
is but one prize, a cash offering of $50 to the
orator standing first and who will represent the
Indiana colleges in the interstate contest, the
cash prize being to defray the expenses Of the
State champion ar that contest Prayer was
offered by DR.. James Mcleod. DR.. Stott, of
Franklin College, and DR.. Benton. OF Butler
University. occupied seats upon the stage; D.
E. Williamson, of Hanover, presiding Five
judges were chosen-Dr. James Mcleod Judge
Ralph j. Hill, Noble c. Butler. j. G. McNutt.
ex-deputy United States district attorney, and
Cyrus Hodgn. of.Riehmond
The first orator was Park Daniels, represent
ing Wabash College, tall, graceful young man,
energetic in his gestures, speaking with much
emphasis, for the most part with clearness, but
with too has.y delivery. He was greeted with
hearty applause as he advanced and made his
bow, Wabash College evidently having sent a
large delegation. His subject was The Man
and the State" He held that the tendency was
to put too much faith in systems and look too
little to men, taking Lord Beaconfelds remark
on that subject his text. He held that it was
where the individual had the freest scope was
found the most prosperous nation but that the
sociaistc idea was the paternal idea and was
going back to the old belief that the State should
be all and do allan idea which had gone down
to give place to a higher and better one; that
national dependency was individual degeneracy.
He showed that it is by the force and energy of
individual character that civilization is pushed
along.
W. F. Irwin. of Hanover College, was the
next speaker, his theme being Grandeur of the
! Human Mind" He too was received with ap-
| plause. He spoke with somewhat less of ges-
ticulation than the first sneaker; his utterance
| was rapid and his speech filled with poetic
| words, we'll suited to his subject. He showed
| that man was the purpose of the universe, as
/ the universe itself was the product of mind, and
| that man was in this truly made in the likeness
| of his Creator All the works OF art may pass
away. Egypt, Greece and Rome are piled with
ruins but wave of time can erase the i'm
| press which the man of mind has left upon the
| world forever. He showed in beautiful diction
that conscience was the link between the human
and the divine. drawing us up from the material
| to the spiritual
Buffers representative was E. T. Wise, who,
as each preceding speaker had been. was greeted
with great capping of hands Mr. Wise was
somewhat broad IN gesture, rapid speaker, not
SO much those who spoke before him. and
with clear. far reaching voice. His subject
was 1.-The Statesmen of the Revolution" 1t is
| to his credit that he made no alusion to either
| Greece or Rome, though in speaking of the early
days of this Republic the provocation to do so is
| very strong The statesmen ne eulogized were
| Washington and Alexander Hamilton, especially
the latter, the author of the idea OF America for
! Americans and who has influenced our entire
history and stamped himself upon our whole
| future.
| ]. T. C. Noe. of Franklin College had as his
| theme Mans Ideal" He showed that fame
| and power are and always have been the incen
| tves to progress; that these incentives existed
in the barbarian as they will continue exist in
| civilized man, a necessary element of mans
| being II the barbarian, with civilized man,
it most often took the form of blood and con
quest and the acquisition of territory. This
speakers manner was very agreeable, and he re-
ceived great applause.
The last speaker was the representative oil
DePauw University, F. E. Anderson The
manner of this speaker was more like that Of
the lecturer of the dav, being quiet. with
gestures few and fifty chosen. He spoke with
less haste thar those who had preceded him
thereby giving greater dignity to his subject
American Equality, and Some of Its Enemies.
He showed how the American doctrine ha
been misunderstood and perverted by Socialist
and Anarchists, but that through our belief il
the Christian fatherhood comes a natura
Christian brotherhood to save the Nation. H
ranked the saloon with the enemies of equality
in the true sense, and spoke with vehemen
scorn of Henry George, who regards the salool
as social necessity
The decision of the judges, when announced
created some hubbub, the applause being mixed
with groans and Kisses. but the display of dis
satisfaction much less than has occurred a.
any ora;orical contest for years. and the au
| dience filed ont rapidly. The first prize wa
awarded to Park Daniels, of Wabash College
the second place was given to F. E. Anderson, o
De PAW, and the third place to W. F. Irwin, o.
Hanover.